Good morning, it’s Friday, October 18, 2024. In today’s edition, Pennsylvania requires speech therapy coverage; Texas lawmakers halt execution; new polls in Washington, Utah:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has signed legislation requiring insurance plans to cover speech therapy for children who stutter. The law makes Pennsylvania the second state to require coverage for speech therapy, after Kentucky. (Pluribus News)
We brought you the backstory in September: The law’s author, Rep. Brandon Markosek (D), drafted his legislation after meeting with former NBA star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Both Markosek and Kidd-Gilchrist have struggled to overcome their own stutters.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Texas Supreme Court has halted the execution of Robert Roberson just hours before it was to take place after state lawmakers subpoenaed Roberson to testify at the state capitol. A bipartisan group of legislators who believe Roberson is innocent sought to intervene to halt his execution. (Texas Tribune)
ENERGY: Massachusetts lawmakers have reached a deal on a clean energy package that will expand the number of electric vehicle chargers and require state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill will also give the state the option to purchase nuclear power plants in Connecticut and New Hampshire. (WBUR)
DISASTER RELIEF: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has suspended election rules and deadlines in hurricane-hit areas to ensure voters can cast ballots on time. DeSantis’s order extends early voting in Taylor and Pinellas counties and allows election supervisors more time to designate polling locations. (Associated Press)
MARIJUANA: Kansas lawmakers held their first hearing on legislation to create a medical marijuana program this week. Lawmakers set another hearing for later this month, in which they will investigate how the marijuana industry interacts with financial institutions. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
STADIUMS: The Cleveland Browns will leave their stadium at the end of their lease in 2028 and move to a domed facility in Brook Park, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said Thursday. The Haslams said they will seek public money to help pay for construction. (Associated Press) Two Missouri state agencies will seek $9 million for transportation and marketing costs to pay for World Cup games scheduled for Arrowhead Stadium in 2026. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
In Politics & Business
WASHINGTON: A new Survey USA poll shows Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) leading ex-U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R) 50% to 34%. Campaign finance reports show Ferguson’s campaign has raised $13 million, more than twice what Reichert has pulled in. (Seattle Times) Ferguson leads an Elway Poll by a similar 51%-37% margin. (Cascade PBS)
UTAH: A new Noble Predictive Insights survey found Gov. Spencer Cox (R) leading state Rep. Brian King (D) 54%-26% in their race for governor. State Rep. Phil Lyman (R), running as a write-in, earned 5% of the vote. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Lyman asked fellow legislators to convene a special session to disqualify Cox from the ballot. House Speaker Mike Schultz (R) said thanks but no thanks. (Salt Lake Tribune)
FLORIDA: A federal judge has ordered Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) administration to stop threatening television stations with criminal prosecution for airing television ads backing Amendment 4, the pro-abortion rights measure. The judge will hear testimony in the case on Oct. 29. At least one station stopped airing ads in the face of threats from the Department of Health. (Florida Politics)
CRIME BLOTTER: A jury of eight women and four men have been chosen in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (D) on racketeering and corruption charges. It took attorneys seven days to choose the jurors. Opening statements begin Monday. (Chicago Sun-Times)
By The Numbers
1.4%: The share of teenagers who reported smoking cigarettes in 2024, the lowest share in a quarter century, according to new CDC data. Overall tobacco use dropped, led by a substantial decline in teens using e-cigarettes. (CDC)
$517 million: The amount of revenue Iowa expects to lose in the current fiscal year after lawmakers approved a new flat tax. Iowa’s revenue is expected to drop another $580 million next year. (Des Moines Register)
$5.6 million: The amount Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and his wife M.K. contributed to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, about 6% of the total amount raised by the host committee. The host committee released a report Thursday showing the convention had an estimated economic impact of $371 million on the city. (Chicago Tribune)
Off The Wall
Walter White is not happy with litterbugs. Bryan Cranston, the Breaking Bad star, is spearheading a new anti-littering ad campaign in television spots and billboards across New Mexico, where the show took place. In one spot, he crushes a discarded cup from Los Pollos Hermanos, the fast food joint in the show. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
Oregon’s Department of Forestry is under fire after holding a meeting in an historic saloon in Pendleton where speakers addressed wildfire funding in front of artwork that depicted naked women. The department is already under scrutiny after employees alleged a hostile work environment toward women. (Oregonian)
Voters in Torrance, Calif., will decide whether to increase the city council’s annual wages by 2,673% in a measure on this year’s ballot. Current city law grants city council members a $100 monthly stipend; the new measure would create a salary of $33,280 per year. (Los Angeles Times)
Quote of the Day
“People are like, ‘Oh it’s so close.’ And I’m like, have you not been listening for decades?”
— Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), on the tight-as-a-tick presidential contest in her home state. (Associated Press)